Driver shoots armed teenage carjacking suspect in Fairmount; 1 of 3 carjacking incidents overnight
By Corey Davis
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PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A driver pulled out a gun and fired after coming face-to-face with an armed teenage carjacking suspect in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia.
In an exclusive interview with Action News, the driver described how he made the split-second decision when the 18-year-old male suspect pointed a gun at him.
“I saw the gun and I thought he was going to shoot me and take the car, so I retaliated as fast as I could. And just to see another day, I had to shoot the guy,” the victim said.
“I was shaken up at first and the police calmed me down a lot and they made me feel real comfortable.”
Police said the car owner fired at least five shots in total around midnight Tuesday at the intersection of North 17th and Folsom streets. They said he does have a valid permit to carry a weapon.
Investigators said the 18-year-old suspect who was shot showed up at the hospital and admitted to being at the scene.
The driver had a message for the teen and any others who might follow his path.
“Stay in school. Don’t play with guns. Don’t rob people. Work for what you want,” the victim said.
This was one of at least three carjacking incidents in the city overnight.
Another attempted carjacking happened around 11:15 p.m. Monday in the parking lot of a Rite Aid store on the 200 block of West Lehigh Avenue in West Kensington.
Investigators said, as the victim was driving away, four suspects approached with a gun and demanded the car.
The victim showed a weapon and then ran, investigators said.
However, one of the suspects still shot the victim, hitting him in the foot.
Multiple suspects fled the scene without taking the car, according to police.
Another carjacking occurred minutes earlier and ended in a crash.
It happened just after 11 p.m. at North 6th and West Cambria Streets in North Philadelphia.
Police said multiple suspects stole a Nissan Rogue from a driver, but crashed the vehicle into three parked cars as they left the scene.
Investigators are checking surveillance cameras for clues.
These incidents continue the sharp rise in carjackings the city experienced in 2021.
Police said that with so many carjackings over the past year, they are treating these latest ones all as separate incidents and then will determine if any are possibly connected.
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